Machine for topping beet-roots.



A. PRUVOT.

MACHINE IOR'TOPPING BEET ROOTS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11. 1903.

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PATENTED NOV. '7, 1905.

A. PRUVOT.

MACHINE POR TOPPING BEET ROOTS.

APPLICATION FILED FBB.11,1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET s.

WTNESSES:

onrrnn sTATns PATENT OFFICE.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 7, 1905.

Application filed February 11, 1903. Serial No. 142,948-

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ACHILLE PRUvo'r, manufacturer, a citizen of theFrench Republic, residing at Valenciennes, in the Department of Nord,France, have invented a certain new and useful Machine for ToppingBeet-Roots, (for which I have applied for Letters Fatent in France,dated December 12, 1902,) of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

This invention relates to machinery for harvesting beets or the like,and has for its object to provide means for topping the beets while inthe ground.

The machine is described with reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is an elevation, one of the wheels being removed to showthe parts behind the same; otherwise this figure shows the machine readyfor working. Fig. 2- is a plan view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevation,part section, the working parts being closed up for transport. Figs. 4and 5 are detail views showing Various operations. Figs. 6, 7, and 8relate to modified forms of the top-removing wheel. Fig. 9 is adetailview of the knife of such wheel.

The machine consists of a carriage-frame mounted on four wheels, two ofwhich, 2 2, form a fore-carriage secured to an upright shaft 3, which ismaintained in a socket 3. The other two wheels 4, located at the rear,are mounted on a shaft 5, supported and rotatable in the frame 1. y

The fore-carriage, formed by the wheels 2, can be moved or steered bymeans of a handwheel 6, the shaft of which is provided with a worm 7,which engagesaworm-wheel 8, secured on the shaft 3. This arrangementenables the fore-carriage to be turned in any direction without it beingmoved by the inequalities of the ground.

Rearward of the fore-carriage is the topping or top-removing device 9,consisting of a wheel having a broad rim on which are provided ribsforming aseries of circular grooves. These may be of various shapes, asshown, for example, in Figs. 6, 7, and 8. The wheel 9 (shown on themachine) illustrated is of the type represented in Fig. 6. Thetop-removing wheel 9 is journaled in a framework 10, supported by theaxle 5, upon which it can pivot. To avoid lateral deviations of theframe 10 with its wheel 9, this frame is tted with two lugs 11, withwhich engage two rods 12, fixed to straps 13 on the frame and ended byheads 14 beneath the lugs 11. This arrangement prevents the frame 10 andwheel 9 from deviating laterally and permits the sinking of thetopping-knife in the ground to be regulated by means of the height atwhich the rods 12 are fixed to the carriage 1.

The wheel 9 is rotated from the axle 5 by means of a sprocket-wheel 15and chain 16, passing over intermediate sprocket-wheels 17 and 18 'andengaging a wheel 19, keyed on the shaft of the topping-wheel 9. In themachine illustrated the speed of rotation of this wheel is about twicethe speed of the axle 5 and takes place in the direction of the arrow Aserrated plate 1()a forms a kind of comb,

`Fig. 2, which frees the grooves in the wheel 9 from earth or leaveswhich remain adhering thereto. The intermediate chain-wheels 17 and 18are mounted on the frame 10, the position of the wheel 17 beingvariable, so that the tension of the chain 16 can bc adjusted.

One of the sides of the frame 10 is prolonged beneath the axis of thetopping-wheel 9 by an L-shaped arm 20, and the lug 11 is similarlyextended by a socket 21. The rod 22 of the knife 23 is guided verticallyin the socket 21 and in the arm 20 of the frame. A

`ring 24 is fixed to the rod 22 of the knife,

(see Figs. 4 and 5,) which is held up by a strong spring 25,interposedbetween the guide-arm 2O and the ring 24, fixed on the knife,the blade 23 of the knife passing as a guillotine under thetopping-Wheel 9that is,

in a direction oblique to the axis of this wheel. The rod 22 of theblade 23 has imparted to it by the guides 20 and 21 an oblique directionrelatively to the axis of the Wheel 9. This construction gives to theknifeblade a great resistant strength. The distance between the blade 23and the lower part of thc ribs in the wheel 9 can be varied by movingthe ring 24 upon the rod 22 of the knife, this ring bearing upon thestrong spring 25.

The wheel 9 guides the knife 23 upon the top or neck of the beet. Whenthis wheel comes into contact with a beet, the leaves of the latterlodge in the grooves between the ribs, which action is facilitated bythe relatively great speed at which this wheel rotates, and the ribs ofthe wheel rest upon the top or neck itself of the beet. In this movementthe knife 23, which is fast to the wheel 9 as regards its rise and fall,cuts or shears the part of the neck of the beet kincluded between thelower part of the ribs of IOO IIO

corresponding to the space determined by` the distance left between itsblade and the lower part of the ribs of the wheel 9. (See Fig.

4.) The section of the blade 23'is triangular,` and this section isarranged so that the lower side is horizontal, as shown in Fig. 9, thei'nclined portion being directed upward. By this means the knife has notendencyto rise and to cut the neck obliquely. When astone or other hardsubstance becomes located between7 the knife 23 and the ribs of thewheel 9, the spring 25 yields and allows the blade to drp down, Fig. 5,so that the stone is expelled by contact with the rapidly-revolvingwheel 9. This spring 25 is formed very strong, so as to yield only underthe great pressure which results from the introduction of a L'resistingbody and not to yield during the ordinary work of shearing off' ythe topof the beet.

Behind the wheel 9 is located obliquely to the direction of travel ofthe machine a brush 26 of cylindrical shape, the axle 27 of which issuspended by arms 28, jointed to shaft 29, which is itself supported bytrunnions 30, fixed to the carriage-frame 1 of thc'machine. At one ofits extremities the shaft 29 is providejdv with a bevel-wheel 31,engaging ay secondfbevel-wheel 32, keyed on the axle 5. On the other endof the shaft 29 is keyed a wheel 33, which by means of a chain 34 and awheel 35 transmits the movement of the axle 5 to y thebrush 26, whichrevolves in the direction of the arrow y. This brush 26 is intended toremove to the side of the machine the tops ornecks with the leavesthereon. (See Fig. 2.) Chains 36 37 are fixed to one of the arms 28"andto the frame 1 of the machine. By shortening' or lengthening these twochains the aforesaid brush may be respectively raised or lowered. At therear of the brush 26 are located plowshares 38 38. The blades of theshares are formed with a wedge-shaped open- YAYing between them and areinclined downwardly, so that as the beet passes from the point of theshare to the rear of the blade it is raised, as will be understood fromFig. 1. The shares are fixed in straps 39 39,y which are secured to aU-shaped clamp 40 by means of suitable keys 41. `This clamp 40 is fastvto two uprights 42 42, each formed of two angle-irons 43 43, crosstiedby a fiat bar 44. The upper extremity of these two uprights is jointedto two levers 45 45, keyed on a shaft 46, journaled in supports 47 47,secured to the carriage-frame 1. To the extremities of the clamp 40 arefixed supports 48 49. .The lower part of the frame, formed by theuprights 42 and the clamp 40, is hinged to the axle 5 by two cranks 5050, jointed at their other ends to the supports 48 49 of the frame.

vrlhe parts 42 42 40 form a parallelogram having two 'xed points ofrotation 5 and 46 and two points hinged at the opposite extremity of thelevers-45 and cranks 50. l The uprights.

ing device which consists of aframe 51, hav- -ing arms 52, jointed tothe support's'48 and 49. This frame is also held by me'ans of two chains53 53, secured thereto at 54 54andf also connected to two'lever-arms5555, keyed upon the shaft 46'. 'In the frame 51 are trun'nioned threeshafts 56, 57, and 58, on which are I threaded or slipped a number oftoothel rowels, respectively, 59',` 60, andl 61. These ro'wels are fixedupon the shafts in such-aI manner that those of the shaft 57 correspondwith the spaces existing between the owels of fixed upon a sha-ft'pivo'ted in the support 49.

f At the end of this shaft is keyed al sprocket- -wheel 64, around whichpassesI a chain 6E,V which also passes over sprocket-wheels 66 67 .68,keyed, respectively, on the shafts 56 57i Between the shafts 57 and 58the chain passes over a tension-roller 69,- fixed in a slot 70 andcapable of being moved vertically to tension the chain'.v chain alsopasses under another tensioning-y `roller 71, capable of lateraladjustment, likel wise for tensioning the chain.

The beet-root when it rises between the shares 38 is delivered onto therowe'ls 5'9 60 61, which by means of their teeth 'shake'A the Above theshaft 56 this These rowels are rotated' from the axle 5 by means of agearewheel 62, keyed on said axle and engaging a pinion 63,

IOO

beet and free' it from the greater portion of the earth adhering theretowhile at the samef time conveying it and depositing' it' rearward of themachine, where' it may be picked up.

For the transport of the maeh'i'ne theworking parts can be raised by alever 72; fixed to the shaft 46.y This lever moves in a sector 73 and isheld in its two extreme positions by a spring-impelled locking-boltconsisting of a rod 74, guidedv in two supports 75 76', fixed to the'lever, aspring 77 'on said lever being compressib'le between support 75and a shoulder 78 o n the rod 71. One of the ends of the rod is fittedwith a blt 7 9, capable of engaging under pressure of the spring 77 innotches 8O 81 in the sector 73; A pin or bolt 82 insures the position ofthe bolt in a still more certain manner, so' that in the position shownin Fig. l the par'allelogram su'ppo'rtir'igv the shares and the cleaningapparatus is quite" solid with the carriage-frame of the machine. Asmall lever 83; fulcru'rned at 84, enables .the bolt 79 to be disengagedfrom the' sector by means of the intermediate connectingerod .85 and thelever 72'to' be lowered inthe direction z.v In this movement the lever72 4draws with it the shaft 46, which raises the IIO shares, causing theframe 42 40 to pivot around the axle 5, and the levers 55 raise therearmost cleaning device by means of the chains 53, and all the partsare then in the position shown in Fig. 3. During the rise and fall ofthe frame 42 40, carrying the shares 38, this frame is guided laterallyby the end l of the frame engaged between the anglepieces 43 of each ofthe uprights 42. The crosstie 44 rests on this extremity l during theloweringof the shares for their work,- as shownA in Fig. l. f

It will be noted that the traction of the machine takes place directlyupon the uprooting device, the draftchains 88 88 being fixed at 89 89 tothe lower part of the straps 39, to which the uprooting-shares arefixed. These chains are connected in the fore part of the machine to aring or collar 90, embracing the Jsfteering-post 3 and leaving this postquite ree.

The working of the machine is as follows: The machine, the parts ofwhich are in the position of Fig. 3, is placed in line with a row ofbeet-roots, so that these latter pass between the steering wheels 2,said wheels being steered by the hand-wheel. The lever 72 is raised andthe parts assume the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In this state themachine is advanced, and when the wheel 9 meets a beet it rises on theneck of the latter, which it feels with its ribs, and, the wheelcontinuing to advance, the knife 23 shears off the neck. The brush 26pushes the neck and its leaves to the side, and thus leaves a freepassage for the uprooting-shares 38. These shares pull up the beet-root,which then reaches the cleaningapparatus. The rowels of the latter shakeand convey the beet, which is thus deprived.

of most of the earth which may have adhered to it, and, finally, thebeet falls out to the rear of the machine, where it is ready to bepicked up.

I claim as my invention-- 1. Beet-harvesting machinery, comprising acarriage-frame, a topping-wheel mounted thereon, means for rotating it,and a knife yieldingly mounted at a predetermined distance below lthesaid wheel, substantially as described. y

2. Beet-harvesting machinery, comprising a carriage, a topping-wheel,and a knife at a predetermined distance below it, and means for rotatingthe wheel at a speed greater than that of the travel of the carriage, incombination with a rotating brush in the rear of said wheel,substantially as described.

3. Beet-harvesting machinery, comprising a carriage, a topping-wheel, aframework therefor, a knife carried below the wheel,

traction-wheels, an axle and sprocket therefor, said pivoted frameworkbeing pivoted centrally with said axle, a sprocket for the top-removingwheel, and a chain between the sprockets, substantially as described.

4. Beet-harvesting machinery, comprising a carriage, a framework, atopping-wheel carried thereby, lugs on the framework, a knife lhavingits blade beneath the wheel, and its shank yieldingly held in said lugs,substantially as described.

5. Beet-harvesting machinery, comprising a carriage, a framework, atopping-wheel carried thereby, lugs in the framework, a springpressedrod in said lugs, carrying a knife below and oblique to the axis of thewheel, substantially as described.

6. Beet-harvesting machinery, comprising a ribbed topping-wheel, meansfor rotating it, a knife carried a predetermined distance below saidwheel, and a cleaning-comb tting said ribbed wheel, substantially asdescribed. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to thisspecification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ACHILLE PRUVOT. Witnesses:

JULES FONTAINE, HENRI HAINAN.

